BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to fasteners for garments, and more particularly concerns a temporary hemming device for reversibly hemming a part of a garment to be hemmed, such as one or more legs of trousers, or one or more sleeves of a blouse or shirt.
Women's full length trousers are often hemmed to a length to fit over high heel shoes, so that the full length trousers tend to drag when worn with flat shoes or bare foot, for example. As an alternative to changing into a shorter garment, a common method of shortening trousers is by rolling up the bottoms of the trousers. Rolled up trousers can become unrolled, which is unsafe, and may not be suitably fashionable in some situations, and hemming of trousers by the traditional sewing method can take a relatively substantial amount of time and effort, particularly if the trousers only need to be hemmed for a short period of time. Sleeves of a shirt or blouse often need to be shortened temporarily, and rolled sleeves can similarly awkwardly become unrolled. Accordingly, there is a need for a device for temporarily hemming a garment allowing the garment to be rapidly and easily hemmed and unhemmed as needed. Gaping openings between buttons of a blouse or shirt can also be an embarrassment, and other portions of a garment can unexpectedly come apart, so that it would be desirable to provide a device for rapidly removably fastening portions of a garment together, at least temporarily, as needed.
Pins such as straight pins can be used for making a temporary hem, and for temporarily fastening portions of a garment together, such as for temporary repairs, but straight pins can be unsightly if not unsafe, and even safety pins typically leave visible traces on the outside of a garment, making a clean hem line difficult to achieve. One known temporary hemming system involves a magnetic pant cuff retaining device; another system involves attaching and detaching clothing sections with Velcro® brand hook and loop materials; and another system involves a pants cuff clip similar to a paper clip that can be slipped over the folded or rolled lower edge of a pant leg. Another known temporary hemming system involves fastening the two ends of a loop of material in place about the lower edge of part of the garment to be hemmed, with a fastener extending through the garment, leaving one part of the fastener concealed on the inside of the garment, but the other part of the fastener and a portion of the loop of material exposed on the outside of the garment.
There is therefore a need for a temporary hemming device with cooperating fasteners that can be fully concealed within the garment and that can be quickly and easily reversibly fastened together to temporarily hem the garment, by an inwardly folding of the part of the garment to be hemmed along the desired hem line, or to removably fasten gaps between buttons closed, and to make temporary garment repairs. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides for a temporary hemming device that includes first and second rows of cooperating fasteners affixed to a portion of a garment to be temporarily hemmed. The portion of a garment to be temporarily hemmed can be quickly and easily temporarily hemmed by folding the portion of a garment to be temporarily hemmed about a desired hem line and connecting the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners.
Accordingly, the present invention provides for a temporary hemming device that includes first and second sheets of material with corresponding first and second rows of cooperating fasteners, respectively, with the first and second sheets of material affixed to a lower portion of a part of a garment to be hemmed, such that the part of a garment to be hemmed can be folded about a hem line to removably fasten the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners together to form a temporary hem of the pant leg or sleeve of the garment. In a presently preferred embodiment, the corresponding first and second rows of cooperating fasteners are hook and eye fasteners, although the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners may also be other suitable sets of fasteners, such as cooperating stud sets or snap sets, and the like, for example. In a presently preferred aspect, the part of a garment to be temporarily hemmed is a pant leg, although other parts of a garment, such as a sleeve or lower waist hem of a blouse or shirt, for example, could also be temporarily hemmed using the temporary hemming device of the present invention.
In another presently preferred aspect, the first and second sheets of material are affixed to an inside lower portion of the part of the garment to be hemmed, and the part of a garment to be hemmed is configured to be folded inwardly about the hem line to removably fasten the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners together to form a temporary hem of the pant leg or sleeve of the garment, so that the first and second sheets of material with their rows of cooperating fasteners are concealed within the part of the garment to be hemmed, and the temporary hem is completely concealed once the rows of fasteners are fastened together. In another presently preferred aspect, the first and second sheets of material have a coating of contact adhesive along one of the flat sides, with the rows of fasteners mounted to the other side of the first and second sheets of material, so that the sheets of material can be rapidly affixed to the part of the garment to be hemmed.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the temporary hemming device of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of trousers with the temporary hemming device of the present invention affixed to the lower inside portion of the right leg of the trousers showing a hem line of the trouser leg to be temporarily hemmed according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing an inner view of first and second sheets of material affixed to the lower inside portion of the trouser leg to be hemmed, with the corresponding first and second rows of cooperating hook and eye fasteners in an unfastened condition.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing an inner view of first and second sheets of material affixed to the lower inside portion of the trouser leg to be hemmed, with the corresponding first and second rows of cooperating snap fasteners in an unfastened condition.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the trousers of FIG. 1 showing the right trouser leg inwardly folded along a hem line of the trouser leg to be temporarily hemmed, with the first and second rows of cooperating hook and eye fasteners fastened together according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing an inner view of the first and second rows of snap fasteners fastened together according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5, showing an inner view of the first and second rows of snap fasteners fastened together according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a blouse with the temporary hemming device of the present invention affixed to the lower inside portion of the left sleeve of the blouse showing a hem line of the sleeve to be temporarily hemmed according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7, showing an inner view of first and second sheets of material affixed to the lower inside portion of the sleeve to be temporarily hemmed, with the corresponding first and second rows of cooperating hook and eye fasteners in an unfastened condition.
FIG. 9 is a front view of the blouse of FIG. 7 showing the left sleeve inwardly folded along a hem line of the sleeve to be temporarily hemmed, with the first and second rows of cooperating hook and eye fasteners fastened together according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9, showing an inner view of the first and second rows of hook and eye fasteners fastened together according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an exploded view of first and second strips of cooperating snap fasteners with individual pairs of the snap fasteners arranged in separable sections that can be removed at predetermined perforation lines from the rest of the strips to adjust the length of the strips.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged top perspective view of an end portion of a strip of female portions of snap fasteners having a plurality of internal curved flanges aligned with a corresponding plurality of slots in the strip of female portions of the snap fasteners.
FIG. 13 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the end portion of the strip of female portions of snap fasteners of FIG. 12 showing the plurality of slots in the strip of female portions of the snap fasteners.
FIG. 14 is an enlarged top perspective view of an end portion of a strip of male portions of snap fasteners having a plurality of external curved flanges aligned with a corresponding plurality of slots in the strip of male portions of the snap fasteners.
FIG. 15 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the end portion of the strip of male portions of snap fasteners of FIG. 14 showing the plurality of slots in the strip of male portions of the snap fasteners.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides for a temporary hemming device 10 that includes a first sheet of material 12 and a second sheet of material 14, with the first sheet of material having a corresponding first row 16 a plurality of first portions of a plurality of cooperating fastener pairs configured to be reversibly coupled together, and the second sheet of material having a corresponding second row 18 of the plurality of cooperating fastener pairs, respectively. The first and second sheets of material are preferably arranged in parallel or substantially parallel rings that are spaced apart and affixed to a portion 24 of a garment 28 to be hemmed, such that the portion of the garment to be hemmed can be folded about a hem line 30 to removably or reversibly fasten the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners together to form a temporary hem of the pant leg 32 or sleeve 34 of the garment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 7 and 9. The first and second sheets of material can be formed of fabric, plastic, foil, combinations thereof, and the like.
As is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5, 8 and 10, in a presently preferred embodiment, the corresponding first and second rows of cooperating fasteners are hook and eye fasteners 36, including a hook portion 38 and an eye portion 40, although the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners may also be other suitable sets of fasteners, such as cooperating stud sets or snap sets 42, including interfitting male parts 44 and female parts 46, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, and the like, for example. As is shown in FIGS. 1-6, in a presently preferred aspect, the part of a garment to be temporarily hemmed is a trouser or pant leg 32, although other parts of a garment, such as a sleeve 34 or lower waist hem of a blouse or shirt, as is illustrated in FIGS. 7-10, for example, could also be temporarily hemmed using the temporary hemming device of the present invention.
As is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8, the first and second sheets of material are preferably disposed in parallel or substantially parallel rings, spaced apart on the portion of the garment to be hemmed by a distance appropriate to the desired hem line, and are affixed to an inside lower portion 48 of the part of the garment to be hemmed. The part of a garment to be hemmed is thereby prepared to be folded inwardly about the hem line to removably fasten the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners together to form a temporary hem of the pant leg or sleeve of the garment. In this manner, the first and second sheets of material with their rows of cooperating fasteners are concealed within the part of the garment to be hemmed, and the temporary hem is completely concealed once the rows of fasteners are fastened together. Alternatively, the first and second sheets of material may be affixed to the outside surface of the part of the garment to be hemmed, particularly if the fasteners are attractive, such as decorative snaps or studs for example, so that the fasteners are visible in an unfastened state, and concealed when the fasteners are fastened.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 11, the first and second sheets of material have a layer or coating 52 of contact adhesive along one of the flat sides, such as a strip of double-sided contact tape 54 affixed to the flat sides 56, 58 of the first and second sheets of material which are to be affixed to the portion of the garment to be hemmed, presenting contact adhesive along those sides, with the rows of fasteners mounted to, or integrated with and projecting from, the other side of the first and second sheets of material. In one presently preferred aspect, the contact adhesive used in this invention may be any conventional reusable adhesive, such as a reusable adhesive sold under the trade name “HANDI-TAK” available from Super Glue Corporation in Hollis, N.Y., so that the first and second sheets of material can be reapplied or repositioned on the garment to be hemmed, as desired. Other similar suitable types of conventional reusable adhesive may also be used. Alternatively, the contact adhesive can be applied to the sides of the sheets of material to be adhesively affixed to the garment or to the garment directly, or a double-sided adhesive tape can be used with one side presenting heat bonding adhesive to the sheets of material for permanent affixing of the double-sided adhesive tape to the sheets of material, with the contact adhesive side facing outwardly, so that the sheets of material can be rapidly affixed to the portion of the garment to be temporarily hemmed.
Referring to FIG. 11, in one presently preferred variation, the hemming device 10 of the invention can be formed by a first sheet of material 60 having a first planar side 62 adapted to be affixed to a first portion of the garment to be hemmed, and a second planar side 64 including a strip or row 65 of a plurality of first male snap fastener portions 66 of a plurality of snap fastener pairs 68 configured to interfit with and be removably or reversibly coupled together with a corresponding strip or row 69 of a second plurality of second female snap fastener portions 70, similarly included on a second sheet of material 72 having a first planar side 74 adapted to be affixed to a second portion of the garment to be hemmed, and a second planar side 76 including the plurality of female snap fastener portions. The first and second sheets of material with the first and second rows of cooperating snap fastener parts can be arranged on the portion of the garment to be hemmed as described above, such that the part of a garment to be hemmed can be folded about a hem line to reversibly couple the first and second rows of cooperating fasteners together to form a hem of the pant leg or sleeve of the garment. The first and second strips of cooperating snap fasteners can advantageously be formed with individual pairs 78 of the snap fasteners arranged in separable sections 80 defined by preformed tear lines or perforation lines 82 in the first and second sheets of material, and with corresponding preformed tear lines or perforation lines 84 in the layers or tape strips of contact adhesive 54 along the planar sides of the first and second sheets of material to be affixed to the portion of the garment to be hemmed, so that desired lengths of the pairs of snap fastener parts can be removed at the preformed tear lines or perforation lines to adjust the length of the strips as may be needed to fit the particular portion of the garment to be hemmed.
With reference to FIGS. 12-15, in another presently preferred variation, the pluralities of cooperating pairs of fasteners can be implemented as first and second sheets of material including cooperating male and female strips of pairs of snap fasteners that are configured to slidably rotate when fastened together without separating. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, showing an end portion 90 of a strip 92 of female snap fastener portions 94, the female snap fastener portions each include a plurality of internal curved flanges 96 aligned with a corresponding plurality of slots 98 in the strip of female portions of the snap fasteners, such as typically four internal curved flanges aligned with four corresponding slots, for example. Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, showing an end portion 100 of a strip 102 of male snap fastener portions 104, the male snap fastener portions each include a plurality of external curved flanges 106 aligned with a corresponding plurality of slots 108 in the strip of male portions of the snap fasteners, such as typically four internal curved flanges aligned with four corresponding slots, for example.
It should be readily apparent that the temporary hemming device of the invention can also be used to rapidly removably fasten gaps between buttons in a blouse or shirt by placing short strips of the cooperating fasteners between adjacent buttons, and to make rapid repairs of tears or rips or other fabric problems by placing appropriate lengths of the strips of cooperating fasteners along the fabric areas to be joined together. It will thus be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20090205550
